Esade Alumni Social marks its 20th anniversary after supporting more than 500 organizations

Esade Alumni Social, the social impact initiative of Esade Alumni, marks its 20th anniversary, celebrating two decades of mobilizing Esade alumni talent in support of the nonprofit sector. Since 2006, the initiative has supported more than 500 social organizations and provided more than 200,000 hours of support through pro bono consulting projects, international programs, hackathons, awareness-raising campaigns, and other social impact initiatives.

A pioneer in Spain and Europe, Esade Alumni Social was the first pro bono consulting initiative launched by a business school. Two decades later, it has established itself as a model of collaboration between the alumni community, the nonprofit sector, and the business community, helping to strengthen the management, sustainability, and impact of social organizations.

Pro bono consulting is one of its main pillars. Teams of volunteer alumni support nonprofit organizations and social enterprises in tackling strategic challenges, including planning, finance, communication, human resources, digitalization, business models, internal processes, and impact measurement.

The results demonstrate the value of this model: 65% of supported organizations report improved management, and every euro invested generates €2.97 in social return, according to an independent evaluation conducted using the social return on investment methodology with support from Invenies, a social impact and knowledge consultancy firm. Furthermore, the program has achieved an integrated social value of €2.95 million per year.

“Over the past 20 years, we have seen that when leadership talent works for the common good, it improves organizations’ management and strengthens communities,” explains Isabel Rallo, director of Esade Alumni Social. “Drawing on Esade’s humanist and Jesuit tradition, we share with faith communities, schools, and social organizations a vocation of service: to mobilize knowledge and commitment for the common good. Our goal is not to offer one-off assistance, but to drive sustained transformation processes that enable these organizations to grow stronger, become more independent, and achieve greater sustainability. These organizations facilitate social peace. If we want a harmonious society, we must foster collaboration among social organizations, businesses, and institutions”.

Esade Alumni Social has partnered with organizations such as UNICEF, Greenpeace, Fundación Vicente Ferrer, Fundación Hazloposible, Cáritas, the Red Cross, Fundació Èxit, Sant Joan de Déu, Fundació Iluro, ASSÍS Centre d’Acollida, Save the Children, and Dream Nepal.

To mark this milestone, Esade Alumni Social held the event “20 Years of Meaningful Impact” at Esade’s Barcelona campus. The day-long gathering brought together alumni, social organizations, professionals, and partners. The event featured Sister Lucía Caram, a social activist and founder of the Santa Clara Foundation, and Emilio Doménech, founder and CEO of WATIF and a leading figure in information innovation and digital communication, who discussed the role of communities, collaborative networks, and purpose-driven leadership in social transformation.

Impact projects launched during the 2025-2026 academic year

At the event, the Club for Social Change was also unveiled – an open community launched by Esade Alumni in partnership with the Esade Institute for Social Innovation, Esade Center for Social Impact, and Esade SUD to strengthen connections among alumni, professionals, and organizations committed to social change.

Alongside this new community initiative, Esade Alumni Social has continued to strengthen its efforts to mentor and support the nonprofit sector. During the 2025-2026 academic year, more than 600 alumni volunteers participated in projects supporting the nonprofit sector through pro bono consulting, international programs, hackathons, and social impact initiatives. In total, they dedicated more than 24,000 hours to supporting 60 organizations, of which 42 received pro bono consulting services.

The alumni volunteers helped organizations address key management challenges including defining strategic plans and business models, improving communication, professionalizing human resources, advancing digitalization, strengthening finances, and enhancing impact measurement. Strategic planning accounted for 15% of projects; strategic communication, 13%; and human resources, marketing, and finance, 8.5% each.

International reach and global justice

Esade Alumni Social also has a well-established international presence. The Together program, offered in collaboration with Esade SUD (the university-wide service dedicated to community engagement and global justice), develops three-year strategic support initiatives to guide structural changes in organizational sustainability.

During the 2025-2026 academic year, 16 projects were launched in Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, and The Gambia. Notable examples include Yomol A’tel, an indigenous solidarity economy group working to strengthen its financial structure and access new markets; Cooperativa Agraria APPROCAP, a cooperative of cacao-producing families supported in professionalizing its management; and Innovaplast, which creates secure jobs for vulnerable women through plastic recycling.

In addition, ten international hackathons brought together more than 350 alumni, who are working with organizations such as Ampans on circular economy models that generate inclusive employment, and Mbolo on digital solutions to amplify the voices of women trained in technology and renewable energy.